Seven of Nine Takes a S
by Benne the Clone
Summary: Seven of Nine deals with the unknown processes of becoming more human.


Seven of Nine takes a S**t

Seven of Nine (Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix 01) used a fork to pick up a bite of vegetable matter and moved it into her mouth. The taste was bland, an undertone of sharpness that happened after she chewed nine times and swallowed. She had to consciously think of her throat muscles, her tongue, to move the shapeless mass down her throat. She considered her body functions: the bile that would break down the food into a digestible mass; the peristalsis that would move the food into her intestines, the further bacteria that would separate out the nutrients.

She took another bite of a different food. It had a spicier flavor, hot, causing a slight burning inside her mouth. She spat it onto the plate, took a drink of water to soothe the sting, and pushed that particular food mass aside.

 _This is an inefficient method of ingesting energy_ , she decided. Regenerating at her alcove, taking energy directly from the station, was far more efficient, but as the humanity of her body adapted to removal of the various implants the Borg had installed, she was less able to absorb renewing energy from the equipment. Hence this ingestion of vegetable and animal matter. She finished her meal automatically, turning her attention away from the various flavors and textures of the meal.

"Was it to your liking?" Neelix hovered over her, his smile slightly anxious.

"The meal contained adequate nutritional value," Seven replied. She stood and walked away after determining that further conversation was of no value. Neelix stared after her, his hands twitching. He held himself back from following her to demand more information about her reaction to the meal. He would get nothing more from Seven of Nine.

Some hours later, Seven stopped her work in the Stellar Cartography Lab and turned her attention inward. Something inside her was-different. After a few moments of consideration, she identified it as discomfort. It was not enough of a distraction to affect her work, however, so she returned to her console and continued the task she was addressing.

The discomfort continued; after several hours she came to the end of her shift and set off in the direction of Sick Bay.

"Seven," the Doctor said, not looking up from his console. "What can I do for you?"

"There is a discomfort in my lower abdomen," she said tersely. "It does not go away, but it does change location."

The Doctor waved his tricorder over her abdomen, reviewed the reading. "I don't see anything out of the usual," he said. "Everything seems to be working as designed." He looked at Seven, his eyes intent. "When did this discomfort start?"

"Three point nine hours ago."

"When did you last eat?"

"Seven point six-five hours ago. I consumed vegetable matter, approximately 22 grams of carbohydrates, 25 grams of proteins, and water."

The Doctor nodded, pursing his lips. "This is your first time depending completely on food for sustenance, isn't it?"

"Yes."

"Well, this discomfort you feel is normal. After the ingestion of food, the nutrients are extracted by your digestive system, and the remaining matter moves through your intestinal tract and is expelled."

"Expelled how?"

"Peristalsis, a system of sequential muscle movements, propels the mass out of the body."

Seven's eyes narrowed. "You did not mention this when you discussed the intake of food for energy and nutrients."

"Well," the Doctor stalled, "I thought that it would be self-evident that the inert ingredients would have to be eliminated."

"I was not aware that there would be any unused ingredients." Seven practically growled. "Tell me what must be done."

The Doctor flushed slightly. "You will need to find a - bathroom."

"I have no need to clean myself; my regeneration station handles those needs."

The Doctor pressed his lips together tightly. "You will need to find a toilet." Seven did not move, did not take her eyes from his. "You will disrobe, sit on the toilet, and wait for your body to expel the remaining food mass."

"This is most inefficient," Seven said. She turned and stalked out of the Sickbay.

She was back an hour later. "This is taking too long. I have attempted to expel the inert waste for 47.8 minutes with no results."

The Doctor grimaced. "When the feeling of discomfort moves much lower in your abdomen, that is when you will need to expel waste."

"How much lower?"

The Doctor pulled up a vid display and touched the figure on the screen. "When you feel pressure here, that is when you will excuse yourself and visit the bathroom."

Seven left without additional conversation.

Seven had called Captain Janeway to the Astrometrics Lab to review the findings of her latest long-range scan for certain valuable elements Voyager would need in the near future when she stopped in the middle of her presentation.

She looked at Janeway, who had turned her attention when Seven stopped speaking.

"Please excuse me," Seven said abruptly, "I must expel waste matter." As she left the room she heard a puff of expelled air from Janeway. She set aside the noise for later consideration.

Seven again stalked into Sickbay and confronted the Doctor. "This is *most* inefficient," she repeated.

The Doctor shrugged slightly. "The cost of being human," he said. "As a hologram, it is not something I am personally acquainted with."

'There is no cleaning mechanism involved," she said stiffly. "Regeneration is far more comprehensive."

The Doctor looked away, the lines along his cheeks deepening for a moment. "Daily cleansing of the entire body and cleansing of the affected area at the time of expelling waste is a hygienic practice of most humans."

Seven walked toward the door. "In this matter, being a Borg drone is far preferable."


End file.
